Aug 9: There is no official homework for tomorrow. You may review for your test any way you wish. If you would like to do Chapter 10 in your “fat” textbook and need focus, I would suggest pp. 411 through 418 in which the concepts of Fact and Opinion are discussed. You may of course do any Vocabulary (“thin”) textbook exercises you wish. Good luck! : )

Aug 8: Complete Chapter 9 in your “fat” textbook through the Discussion Questions on p. 398.

Aug 7: Use at least two transition words or phrases in conversation with your friend/family member. We suggest “despite” and “However…” and “in the same way…” and “For example.” You may use more if you prefer.

Do any extra credit course writing you may need to do by Wednesday at the very latest.

Complete Chapter 8 in your main (“fat”) textbook all the way through the Discussion Questions on p. 357.

Aug 3 (for Monday): Professor’s Assignment: watch The Notebook.

Complete Chapters 6 and 7 in your main (“fat”) textbook, the former through the Discussion Questions on p. 260, the latter through the Discussion Questions on p. 315.

If you need or want additional credit in Coursework or Class Participation, work ahead in your Vocabulary (“thin”) textbook and on any additional writing assignments you choose, including following: “This weekend, I visited a (library/bookstore–give name and location). When I was there I…. My impressions were…..” You may write as much as you like.

Aug 2: Use the following two words in conversation with the person of your choice and, as per usual, note their reactions: “sorrow” and “acceptance.”

Complete the Summarizing and Outlining section of your main (“fat”) textbook from pp. 643 to 660.

Complete Chapter 5 in your Vocabulary (“thin”) texbook.

Aug 1: Go to the Bookstore art exhibit by Maxwell Rosario and Chris Mabra and Culture Club and do the following exercise.

Writing Exercise:

Pick one image and write at least two paragraphs about it. Describe the picture and talk about where you think it might have been taken and why. How do you feel about it? How do you feel the artist feels about it? Reflect for a couple of sentences on what your take-away was from the show as a whole.

Complete the next Chapter in your Vocabulary Book (“skinny book”).

Important Dates Coming up: Five-minute conference with Professor on Monday, Aug 8. One more Notebook Check on Tues., Aug 9. And, finally, the Final Exam on Wed., Aug 10.

July 31: Practice on your own for the Midterm Exam on Aug. 1.

July 27: Summarizing Exercise: Read Rainer Maria Rilke’s letter to Mr. Kappus and summarize it.

You have  4 different exercises associated with Franz Kafka’s short story, “The Cares of a Family Man.” They are as follows:

1.) Interpretation Exercise: Read the story by Franz Kafka “The Cares of a Family Man.” Now, draw or paint an image of what you think Odradek looks like.

2. ) Pattern Recognition and Constraint Exercises:

Do a Prisoner’s Constraint highlighting exercise on one of the copies of “The Cares of a Family Man.” (Only highlight those letters that are “imprisoned” and don’t have tails or backs, etc. that go above and below the lines.)

3.) Create a constraint* of your own. Take another copy of “The Cares of a Family Man” and highlight only those letters that conform to your constraint. Be discreet. Don’t tell us your constraint until we guess.

4.) Same as number 3, above, only choose a different constraint. Again, don’t tell us until we guess.

*be creative. A constraint can be anything from only highlighting letters in your name or only choosing a single letter to some complex mathematical pattern.

Textbook Homework:

Complete Chapter 5 in your “fat” main textbook from pp. 185-214.

July 26: Complete Chapters 2 and 3 in your (“skinny”) Vocabulary Book. Pick out any three words from these chapters and use them in conversation with one of your friends/family members. Record what you said and their reactions.

Bring Highlighting Pens to class. If you don’t already, bring the Helen Keller handouts and any other handouts you have received from the Instructor to class.

July 25: Complete pp. 165-171 in your “fat” textbook after reading the story on page 165: “Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits.” If you are having difficulty of any kind, go back in Chapter 4 and complete the exercises on previous pages.

Read this Summary of the CUNY ACT Test.

If you have not taken the CUNY ACT Tutorial (this is provided by CUNY), and would like to do so, here is the link. Please tell us how you did, and how effective or ineffective you felt it was for you.

REMINDER: Professor will check your Notebooks (written in-class work/take-home writing work) during class.

July 24: Read the story “Into the Light” in your “fat” textbook on page 563. Answer the questions following the story (pp. 569 to 572). Instead of doing the “Summarizing” exercise in the book, write a summary of the story “Into the Light” in your own words in your notebook.

July 20: Complete Mastery Tests 3 and 4 on pp. 137 and 139 in your “fat” textbook. Answers will be posted on the ANSWER KEY page over the weekend. If you missed more than two questions, go back and complete the exercises in Chapter 3. We will take another Mastery Test in Chapter 3 when we return to class on Monday July 24. Read ahead and do the exercises in your “fat” textbook, Chapter 4, until page 158.

July 19: Complete Chapter 2 in your main (“fat”) textbook (up until page 89). We will take “Mastery Test 3” on page 95 together in class. You may, of course, work ahead or further if you wish!

Look up the term “Fibonacci sequence” or “Fibonacci number” and also be prepared to discuss how it is expressed in Nature. Note it in your Notebook.

Professor’s Assignment: complete a “lattice” computation of the following: 24 x 99.

July 18: Use one more word in writing that pertains to one of the family members/friends in your list: idiosyncrasy. Tell us about one or more idiosyncrasies of this person. We promise not to share. : )

In your main textbook (the “fat book”) complete Chapter One through page 36. (We will take one of the “Mastery Tests” at random in class together in class.) In Chapter Two in the same book, complete pp. 55 through 62. (Optional: You might want to read ahead, on your own, on page 71 and get comfortable with finding the location of “Main Ideas.”)

Word “exceptional” exercise: As a class, we must find, together, 10 more words inside “exceptional.” Put the new words in your notebook.

July 17: Complete Chapter 1 in your Vocab Workbook (Advancing Vocabulary Skills by Sherrie L. Nist — the narrow book). Complete pp. 17-25 in Chapter 1 in your Main Textbook (Ten Steps to Advancing College Reading Skills by John Langan — the thick book.)

If you did not complete the “ious” word assignment (below), please do it.

July 13 (due for Monday): Use the following words in conversation with someone (or more than one) of the people in your “phonetic” list: pernicious, egregious, melodious, conspicuous. Note what happened / their reactions in writing.

Complete your Inner/Outer Description Assignment while in transit. (Describe what you see externally to you; describe what you note “inside” — your inner stat/voice/feelings, etc.)

July 12: Read Helen Keller’s “I Go Adventuring.” Do active reading like you are reading the texts with no “e.” Note unusual or interesting things; circle words you don’t know. Come to class and discuss. (Keep her other letter and bring to class as well.)

Use those words ending in “ious” in a sentence from our list that you don’t understand. Define them. Try to make the sentence(s) meaningful.

Write the names of four family members or friends phonetically.

July 11: Each student received an individual writing prompt based on previous Writing Lab time and discussion. Pursue! No length limit or minimum.

July 10: Describe something unusual you observe while on your morning commute. It could be a person, a thing, and event… Write while in transit. You may use the definite article.